How to get a barcode for your product
If you create your own products you’re probably wondering if you need barcodes in order to sell your products at the online, local or national level. The answer is, It Depends.
How to determine if you need a barcode for your products
You DON’T NEED A BARCODE if you:
sell products directly to consumers through your website
sell products directly to consumers at in-person craft fairs, trade shows, weekend events, etc.
sell products directly to consumers in an online marketplace (Etsy, Ebay, IndieMade, etc.)
sell products to local retail stores (they usually have their own barcoding system)
sell products to any retail stores that do not require barcodes (hotel chains, museum gift shops, hospital gift shops, etc.)
You DO NEED A BARCODE if you:
sell products on Amazon
sell products on an online marketplace that requires them
sell to large retailers like Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Walgreens, GNC, etc.
sell to any retail stores that require barcodes
How to get a barcode for your products
The main way to go about getting barcodes is through one of two services offered by GS1US.org. The two services for issuing barcodes are GS1 Company Prefix and GS1 US GTIN. Which way you go depends on a few things.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before deciding what option is best for you:
Do you have money to invest in barcodes?
How many products do you need barcodes for now and in the future?
What type of online or offline retailers do you plan on selling your products to?
GS1 Company Prefix
A GS1 Company Prefix is a unique identification number that GS1 US issues just to your company—and it’s part of every barcode, Universal Product Code, and identification number you create. It’s the internationally accepted way to uniquely identify your brand in the global supply chain.
Once you set up your Company Prefix, you can create unique barcodes for each product through their online system. If you have A LOT of products and if you plan on selling to major retail stores, it’s a good idea to use GS1 Company Prefix.
$ - There is an initial setup fee and an annual renewal fee associated with this barcode service.
GS1 US GTIN
A GS1 US GTIN is the key to unique product identification. It’s a unique number issued by GS1 US that identifies a single retail product. It is a streamlined barcode issuing service that is meant to be used with one-off or limited products lines. If you have a small number of products or plan to invest in barcodes as you go, this will likely be the best choice for you.
$ - There is no setup or renewal fee with this service. You pay one flat fee for the life of the barcode.
While obtaining a barcode for your product label is not complicated, there are some choices to be made. Plenty of information can be found at GS1US.org. When it comes to adding your barcode to your product label artwork, InkWise Label can help. Our label design services can easily handle generating barcodes and incorporating them into your product label design. You can contact us with any questions about adding barcodes to your product labels.